Great weather even today! more people, and 2 fantastic soul concerts. Charles Bradley moved us deeply, best concert so far @ Bergenfest. A wonderful soul night in Bergen, overall rating is .. again 5/6.Saturday will be hectic as we aim for 7 concerts…!

The Dap-Kings, who function as Sharon Jones’ backing band and her label Daptones Records’ house band, took the stage at Bergenfest, Norway Friday 22 June and immediately started laying the rhythm track for what was to become a performance that will be remembered a long time. Her guitar player announced that we were about to witness the “Dap Tones Super Soul Revue” and it was on! Sharon came dancing out from backstage like a rocket in a yellow dress.

Their songs are meant for live shows, they’re just much more vibrant in a concert setting. The James Brown influence is very promminent but her cover of a Gladys Knight song made it very evident that there were other artists that had influenced her just as much. Lovely.

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings are true originals, but they perform in a genre that lends itself to tradition. Her primal energy, combined with incredible voice, great dancing and charisma also reminds us of Tina Turner in her heyday.

This was the second great soul concert this day, the firs beeing the fantastic Charles Bradley concert. It must be a challenge to go on stage after Mr. Bradley, but Sharon Jones and The dap-Kings gave us a fantastic performance.

“..So.. is anybody drunk yet?”
–Jonathan Wilson joking with the audience
(the bass player immediately raised his hand)

Jonathan Wilson’s concert at Bergenfest on Thursday evening was a time travel back to 70s California and Wilson and his band turned the hot venue into a cool west-coast breeze. Jonathan Wilson had an easy going vibe going, he joked with the audience and it was an overall good feeling in the “tent”.

Wilson’s album, Gentle Spirit, have been making huge waves this last year and it was on many best-of-the- year lists in 2011. That said, the evening wasn’t all calm and cool. The band (and what a band, they’re fantastic both individiually and as collectively) frequently manouvered into a heavy rock’n roll groove. Just magnificent.

On the album his music is clearly related to the softer Laurel Canyon sound, cool, melancholic tunes layered in strings and organs, beautiful . In concert, the songs open up in a more “aggressive” way. It’s like Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young with emphasis on Neil Young and I also heard Pink Floyd’s influence on several songs.

It was an absolutely great concert, and we all wanted more when it was over.